POLITICS
APC Responsible for Attack on PDP in Imo—-Onwuasoanya
From Marcel Duru, Owerri
The Spokesman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) House of Representative candidate in Orlu Senatorial Zone, Onwuasoanya FCC Jones has accused the All Progressives Congress (APC) government in Imo state of making frantic efforts and very deliberate media schemes to evade suspicion over the mindless carnage that took place at the residence of Ugochinyere Ikeagwuonu on
Saturday 14,2023.
Speaking with newsmen in Owerri, Imo State he said that this is expected, but sensible Imolites and Nigerians will not take whatever spins they churn out with a pinch of salt, for the following reasons;
“Governor Uzodimma is the Chief Security Officer of the State and has a responsibility to protect every resident of Imo State.
So, when there is a security breach in any part of the State, he is held responsible.”He revealed that Ikenga Ugochinyere had since November 2022 raised an alarm over threats from Governor Uzodimma and even provided evidence of a phone exchange between him and the governor’s closest aide, Chinasa Nwaneri, where he accused the latter of threatening to kill him. The governor did not take any action to punish his aide for harassing an innocent Imo citizen but had seemingly given him a pat on the back by allowing him unfettered access to paraphernalia of State power.
Jones further highlighted that Ikenga’s convoy was attacked by hooded gunmen who used an Armoured Personnel Carrier to block his convoy, ransacked the vehicle and allegedly harassed some of his guests who were been conveyed to Owerri after they attended his event. The governor has not explained whom these gunmen are and what Constitutional powers allows a civilian like Chinasa Nwaneri to commandeer a troop of armed men to attempt to abduct a citizen of the State.
“Ikenga’s predicament started the very day he exposed alleged infractions by the governor and his aides in the voters register, where he accused the governor of importing thousands of fake names into the voters register in his Omuma ward, with an aim to manipulate the 2023 elections. INEC has since confirmed that there were inconsistencies in the voter registration in Omuma.”
He added that Governor Uzodimma is the only person, at least in the last three months who has shown extrajudicial desperation to harm Ikenga and he has also failed to take any convincing action to bring those accused of being behind nefarious attempts to harm the young man.
Jones also stressed that Governor Uzodimma has not paid the Five Million Naira which Ikenga claimed a court in Abuja awarded in his favour, but the governor had rather, during the pendency of that order attempted to abduct the young man with a team of armed men led by his close aide, Chinasa Nwaneri.
“As the governor of the State and Chief Security Officer, Governor Uzodimma failed to deploy enough manpower to ensure that the hoodlums or agents who perpetrated that heinous terrorist act in Akokwa were apprehended. If the governor had acted immediately the alarm was raised over attacks on Ikenga’s house, there was no way those gunmen would have escaped.”
He therefore opined that more than twelve hours after the incident the governor is yet to either issue a statement condemning the incident nor visited the scene of the carnage, where at least four Imo sons were killed, many people injured and over One billion Naira worth of properties destroyed. This can be interpreted to mean that the governor is happy with the act and could be celebrating the tragedy that befell his political rival.
” Ikenga is not the only politician in Ideato or in Akokwa. He is not even the only candidate running for election in these areas, there is no logic that can convince any reasonable person that the murderous agents parading as secessionists and Nnamdi Kanu’s sympathizers could have been behind the violent attack and only targeted Ugochinyere who has been the most outspoken sympathizer of Nnamdi Kanu over the last one year and more.”
Meanwhile all the effort to get the comment of the Commissioner for Information and Strategy Chief Declan Emelumba and the Chief Press Secretary of the Governor Chief Oguwuike proved abortive.
Education
Varsity Don Advocates Establishment of National Bureau for Ethnic Relations, Inter-Group Unity
By David Torough, Abuja
A university scholar, Prof. Uji Wilfred of the Department of History and International Studies, Federal University of Lafia, has called on the Federal Government to establish a National Bureau for Ethnic Relations to strengthen inter-group unity and address the deep-seated ethnic tensions in Nigeria, particularly in the North Central region.
Prof.
Wilfred, in a paper drawing from years of research, argued that the six states of the North Central—Kwara, Niger, Kogi, Benue, Plateau, and Nasarawa share long-standing historical, cultural, and economic ties that have been eroded by arbitrary state boundaries and ethnic politics.According to him, pre-colonial North Central Nigeria was home to a rich mix of ethnic groups—including Nupe, Gwari, Gbagi, Eggon, Igala, Idoma, Jukun, Alago, Tiv, Birom, Tarok, Angas, among others, who coexisted through indigenous peace mechanisms.
These communities, he noted, were amalgamated by British colonial authorities under the Northern Region, first headquartered in Lokoja before being moved to Kaduna.
He stressed that state creation, which was intended to promote minority inclusion, has in some cases fueled exclusionary politics and ethnic tensions. “It is historically misleading,” Wilfred stated, “to regard certain ethnic nationalities as mere tenant settlers in states where they have deep indigenous roots.”
The don warned that such narratives have been exploited by political elites for land grabbing, ethnic cleansing, and violent conflicts, undermining security in the sub-region.
He likened Nigeria’s ethnic question to America’s historic “race question” and urged the adoption of structures similar to the Freedmen’s Bureau, which addressed racial inequality in post-emancipation America through affirmative action and equitable representation.
Wilfred acknowledged the recent creation of the North Central Development Commission by President Bola Tinubu as a step in the right direction, but said its mandate may not be sufficient to address ethnic relations.
He urged the federal government to either expand the commission’s role or create a dedicated Bureau for Ethnic Relations in all six geo-political zones to foster reconciliation, equality, and sustainable development.
Quoting African-American scholar W.E.B. Du Bois, Prof. Wilfred concluded that the challenge of Nigeria in the 21st century is fundamentally one of ethnic relations, which must be addressed with deliberate policies for unity and integration.
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
The leadership of the Labour Party has cautioned that if the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) goes ahead to conduct the August 16, 2025 bye-election without publishing the names of its candidates, and ensuring that its logo appears on the ballot, it will seek the nullification of the election in line with the provision of the law.
The party has also called on well meaning Nigerians to prevail on the Prof Mahmood Yakubu led INEC to respect the Nigeria Constitution and the Electoral Law by discharging its duties as specified by the laws of the land and avoid wasting tax payers money. It accused INEC of working for interests that are anti democratic.In a statement by the National Publicity Secretary, Obiora Ifoh, Labour Party said that by the electoral Act 2022, any political party which is excluded from participating in any election is expected to approach the court for remedy.I”NEC is gambling with the huge resources of the country which are being expended in the conduct of the bye-election that is scheduled to hold on the 16 of August, 2025. “We are not going to be helpless as the law has provided adequate remedies for any act or omission by the commission that has shortchanged the political party or put its image in disrepute. “A political party is expected to guard its image and reputation jealously and Labour Party will not take any conduct by any agency or regulatory body intended to rubbish its reputation lightly. “One wonders what interest INEC is protecting that will make it throw the entire country into unnecessary crisis and incurring such a colossal financial waste. “By virtue of the Supreme Court decision delivered on the April 4, 2025, the court stated that the issues of leadership is an internal affairs of the party and going by the internal mechanism of the party, the party has held a convention on the 27th of March 2024 at Nnewi, which produced the current leadership as led by Barrister Julius Abure. One wonders what the problem is with INEC.”INEC under Prof. Yakubu must respect the decisions of both the Supreme Court and the leadership of the Labour Party.”
By Mike Odiakose, Abuja
As the purported expenditure of over N54 billion by the administration of Governor Alex Otti on projects in schools in Abia State continues to generate controversy, a pro-All Progressives Congress (APC) group in the state has tasked the governor to give account of how the money was spent.
The group operating under the platform of the Abian’s Best Interest Association, also warned the governor not to contemplating joining the APC in the state. At a press conference Tuesday in Abuja titled “Where is Abia’s N54 billion?”, the Convener of the group, Hon. Barrister Eze Chikamnayo, said his group had visited several Local Government Areas in Abia state where they interacted with stakeholders on developmental issues before embarking on an on-the-spot inspection of public schools in particular.”In Ugwunagbo, LGA, schools visited included Ihie Community Primary School, Ihie Ukwu Primary School, Asa Umunka Primary School, and Ikem Migrant Farmers School. “In Isiala Ngwa South, the team inspected Nneise Primary School – Umuhu/Umuezu Nvosi, Umunkpeyi Primary School – Umunkpeyi Nvosi, and Obuba Primary School – Obuba Nvosi, Ikem Migrant Farmers School. “From our dispassionate observation, we wish to hereby unequivocally decry the deplorable state of infrastructure in these schools, amongst others, noting that the decay was even more alarming in Isiala Ngwa South – the acclaimed and very contentious Local Government of the sitting Governor, Mr Alex Otti “One wonders then, if charity no longer begins at home.”We went further to question the much-publicized ₦54 billion which appeared in the Abia State Budget Performance Report for the renovation and retrofitting of public schools for the year 2024 and stress that a Budget Performance Report, anywhere in the world, details accomplished projects and the actual amounts spent – not mere approved figures.”While accusing the Abia state Governor of undermining President Bola Ahmed Tinubu but claimed to be his supporters, Barr. Chikamnayo recalled that Governor Alex Otti as opposition leader had earlier promised that ‘under my watch, not a Kobo of Abia resources will be stolen’. “We now question how such words can be trusted when his administration thrives on non-disclosure and only tries to explain itself when prompted. “We further wish to express shock that the state government included “recruitment of teachers, buying chalks our teaching aids” among the items for which the ₦54 billion was supposedly spent. “When did employing teachers and purchasing instructional materials become capital projects?”We call on Abians to be vigilant, ask questions, and demand full accountability and transparency from the Alex Otti-led administration. “The future of our children is at stake, and no government should be allowed to mortgage it under the guise of inflated or questionable expenditure.”When asked whether the group will receive Alex Otti into APC if he decides to join, the APC group said: “He wants people to believe that he supports the president but the same time we know that in Abia state he is undermining Mr President, Bola Ahmed Tinubu. “As we speak, over N300 billion has come from President Tinubu reforms into Abia State government and all the local governments are grounded, castrated and completely insolvent.”We will not receive such a liability into APC. That is what we are saying. Nobody in APC Abia state wants anything called Alex Otti. He is a liability.”He said Abia state on Alex Otti has poorly funded public schools compared to its neighbours in the same south east states. “This lack of transparency and accountability we believe is a gross disservice to Abians.”The Abia Best Interest Association and indeed the APC Abia State, therefore, wishes to draw attention of the pubic to the fact that allocations and various intervention funds coming to Abia State from the Federal Government, have tripled since the inception of the President Tinubu’s Administration – wondering why there was still nothing tangible to show in the education sector in Abia State compared to the situation in Imo and Enugu States, where the government has rebuilt, modernized, and equipped public schools with visible results for all to see.”
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